Goodness Gracious Me: 20 Years Innit!

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Goodness Gracious Me

Comedy: Sketch

The on-point comedy sketch series poking gentle fun at cultural and generational clashes in British Asian life. A 90s hit that made TV history.

20 Years Innit!

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Meera Syal

Sanjeev Bhaskar

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Sean Doherty

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22/12/2018

BBC Two - Goodness Gracious Me, 20 Years Innit!

Ten of the best-loved sketches are put to a viewer's vote.

Celebrating 20 years since Goodness Gracious Me launched British Asian comedy onto mainstream TV as ten of its best-loved sketches are put to a viewer's vote.

Incredibly, it is now 20 years since Goodness Gracious Me first hit our screens and kicked the doors down, introducing British Asian comedy onto mainstream TV. To celebrate the impact the series had on British comedy and culture, the show's stars look back at how it all began and how they created some of the best-loved comedy sketches and characters of the last two decades. From Indian Dad and Mr Cheque Please to the agenda-setting, opening episode classic Going for an English - 'What's the blandest thing on the menu?' - GGM held up a mirror to contemporary British society and appealed to audiences from all cultural backgrounds.

The cast and creators come up with their top ten sketches or characters from the past 20 years - and the public choose its favourite Goodness Gracious Me moment of all - to be revealed at the end of this one-off special.

Originally created by Sanjeev Bashkar, Meera Syal and writer Anil Gupta for Radio 4, the show transferred to BBC Two in 1998. On screen, Sanjeev and Meera were joined by Kulvinder Ghir and Nina Wadia, with a brilliant supporting cast which included Dave Lamb, Amanda Holden, Fiona Allen and Emma Kennedy. Between them, they created over 100 characters, dozens of catchphrases and some of the standout comedy moments of the last two decades, with recurring gags and themes as well as brilliant one-offs and a beautifully observed weekly musical parody - lampooning with an Asian spin everybody from Pulp's Jarvis Cocker to sexist-row chart-topper Robin Thicke.

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